Healing
by Electromagnetic x Pikachu
Summary: A terrible accident has left Artemis permanently paralyzed! How will she cope with her new life of dependence? Will she still have the love and support from the most important people in her life?


A/N:

[insert character(s) here] is/are © to [insert name here]; [insert character(s) here] is/are © to [insert artist here]'s [insert name of book/manga/TV/anime here]; Story is © to moi~

**Healing**

**Part 1**

"I love you for all that you are, and all that I am when I am with you. I love you because you have shown me in hundreds of beautiful ways what love is." — Unknown

Things seemed to be going quite well for a young couple in Happy Harbor, a small town in Rhode Island. Two junior heroes Artemis Crock and Wally West—known merely as "Artemis" and "Kid Flash" when fighting crime—were enjoying their blossoming romance six months into the new year of 2011.

It's summer vacation filled with hot, burning sunlight 24/7. School has let out, allowing both teachers and students to enjoy their two and a half month-long break going and doing whatever they please. Artemis and Wally decided to go to the local lake for a private date; it would be a good time to cool off from a hard day's mission and to enjoy each other's company.

After setting up their picnic blanket and large beach umbrella, the two lovers hurried to the lake, eager for a nice swim. Wally dashed into the crisp, refreshing water with his hands full of water. He took the opportunity to splash his girlfriend a few times, catching her off-guard for a few seconds.

"Gotcha!" He chuckled when he heard her squeal as she tried to avoid him, though it proved futile with his inhuman speed.

The blonde growled playfully as she quickly caught him by the arm and splashed him a few times in retaliation. "Who's got who?" she teased back, splashing him a few more times.

Wally shivered as the cold droplets ran down his bare back. "Hey! No fair!" the redhead said with a pout as he struggled to get out of her rather strong grasp. He laughed, seeing her mischievous smile as he quickly dashed, almost vanishing from her sight.

"Huh?" Artemis was taken by surprise. She looked around, seeing that Wally had disappeared. _Where could he have—?_ She let out another squeal when she was knocked into the water, her boyfriend hovering over her. In response, she gave him a pout and crossed her arms over her chest. "No fair."

Her boyfriend batted his eyelashes, his emerald green eyes shining. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said coyly. "I didn't do anything wrong, I swear~"

She merely giggled and rolled her eyes before she pulled him into a tender kiss, rubbing her nose against his as she gently pulled her lips away. "You're such a kid."

The day went on rather nicely and moved smoothly from the morning to the afternoon. After having lunch, Artemis decided to continue swimming. She got up from the picnic table and started towards a large rock that jutted over the lake. "Gonna go practice my dives."

Wally looked up from the roast beef sandwich he was eating, raising a thin eyebrow. "You sure 'bout that, babe? I thought you were s'posed to wait an _hour_ after you eat, not a minute." He did show some concern in his normally cheerful voice, though tried not to show it too much. He knew Artemis didn't like being treated like a kid.

Artemis smiled and gave him a wink. "I'll be fine," she told him with a confident tone. "I don't get cramps so I'll be cool, I promise." To reassure him, she gave him a short kiss on the cheek and a playful wave.

Reaching the top of the rock, the blonde archer looked down at the water below. She smiled to herself; time to show her boyfriend one of her best and most practiced dives. Wally suddenly remembered, however, that the lake was much too shallow to dive in. He quickly scrambled to his feet as he called out to his girlfriend, "No, Artemis! Don't do it!"

...But she couldn't hear him. She ascended into the air and plunged head-first into the shallow waters, a sharp pain running through her skull and down her spine. Her body crashed not too long after. Wally's eyes widened he saw that Artemis didn't resurface after a few long seconds.

"Oh no. Please don't be..."

He dashed into the water and dove in to find Artemis. She was lying just a few inches below the lake surface, her body immobile. Wally started to fear the worst. Perhaps the impact from the dive killed her? Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her out and sped as fast as he could to the nearest hospital.

The doctor and his colleagues took her into the emergency room and began to run some tests. Wally waited impatiently in the other room. A few hours later, the doctor returned with a solemn look on his face. The redheaded male braced himself mentally, prepared for the worst-case scenario.

"Good news," the doctor told him with a small smile, patting Wally's shoulder, "she will live. Minor damage to her brain or inner organs. However..." His smile immediately disappeared as he looked into the young man's eyes. "She is a quadriplegic, forever paralyzed from the neck down. She will never be able to move her body again."

~ ღ ~

**Part 2**

"Outer beauty is there to get one's attention, inner beauty is what keeps them there forever." — Unknown

Both Wally and Artemis were devastated with the news of her permanent paralysis. There was lots of crying as well as anger on Artemis' part as well as depression. Once the Justice League caught wind of her injury, she was forced to retire from the team. For the time she was in the hospital, she locked herself in her room, refusing to see anyone. She wouldn't accept any of the nurses and doctors' offers for rehabilitation. It was just too hard for the reality to register.

Weeks after the accident, Wally was finally allowed to see her. Artemis still had the same light in her eyes but it wasn't as strong or bright as before; she had fallen so hard into depression. He sat by her bed and placed a hand on hers, giving her a small smile. "It's okay, babe. Really, it's gonna be—"

"No. I'm useless now," she said with tears stinging the corners of her eyes. "I can't believe I let such a preventable thing happen to me...! And now, I can't fight alongside you."

There was a small but kind smile on Wally's face. He shook his head and squeezed her hand lovingly. Leaning over, he gave her a tender kiss on the lips. "We'll get through this, babe, so just accept the rehab," he said. "It should help you recover."

Her smile returned as she let out a small laugh. "No worries, Wally. I plan to." She saw him smile as she let out a laugh. "I won't let you or Mom worry anymore."

But as much as she didn't want to admit it, the rehab wouldn't help her in recovering completely. Not at all.

Life as a quadriplegic was nothing but a heavy burden for Artemis. Used to being independent, she wasn't used to people doing some of the simplest things for her. From feeding herself to scratching her nose, she was forced to either wait or ask the nurses or Wally to help her.

She slipped into a deeper depression and became more irritable. Wally could instantly tell that she hated her new life, despite the front she had put up earlier. He wished he could do something to make things a bit easier, though was running on empty.

Just before Artemis finally came home, the house had been rearranged so it would be more handicap-friendly. Wally would come over and even stay the night, helping out as much as he could. However, Artemis was still feeling bitter about it all and would constantly push him away, refusing his help.

One morning, while he was feeding her breakfast, one of their friends, M'gann Morzz, from her former team came to visit. "Hello!" chirped the green Martian as she walked into the small house. She shyly held up a bouquet of roses to Artemis as Wally put them in a vase of water. "How are you feeling?"

The blonde choked out a laugh, though it sounded more like a scoff. "Like crap," she said bitterly. "I'm stuck like this, having to rely on Wally and my mom for almost everything."

M'gann's bright smile slowly disappeared as she softly placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry for bringing it up." Her eyes stared into Artemis' kindly; she could sense the pain she was in. "I know it takes a lot to get used to but we'll get through this."

"I wholeheartedly agree," said a voice from the open door. Artemis' mother, Paula Crock, entered the dining room, rolling her own wheelchair over to her daughter.

Instead of greeting her with a smile, Artemis turned her head away coldly. "I wasn't really in the mood to see anyone. Go away, Mom."

Wally came from the kitchen, still a little confused at his girlfriend's behavior. "Babe, it's your mom," he said, a sad tone in his voice. "Shouldn't you be a little happier to see her—?"

"I said I didn't want to see anyone!" Artemis growled. "Not M'gann, not my mom, not anyone! I'm not in the mood—"

The sound of a loud slap echoed through the room. Artemis was taken back when Paula's hand hit her hard across the face. She had tears in her eyes, though you could tell that she was angry.

"What is wrong with you?!" she grows back. "I didn't raise a daughter so she could mope and feel sorry for herself!"

It was quite a shock for the ex-Archer, speechless as she felt the stinging pain of her now swollen cheek. Her eyes widened as she turned her head slightly to her mother, seeing the same pain in her eyes. "How could you understand?" she asked with a cold look in her eyes. "At least _you_ can still move your arms."

Paula's frown deepened. "It doesn't matter if I can move my arms or my head! I learned to cope with such a life because I had to be there for you and Jade, even though your father was always absent. I made sure the two of you had all the golden opportunities that I wasn't able to have. Life has even given you another chance! That includes the opportunity to make things good for you. Not sit around and complain about how you hate your new life."

"But I—"

"But nothing!" Paula cut her off. "You have a lot of good things in your life but you've ignored them! You have friends and me who support you and you have Wally—a wonderful man by your side! I didn't have that! You should feel more grateful for that and show that your gratitude!"

The room was quiet, everyone listening closely to Paula's lecture...especially Artemis. Her mother did have a point and once she began to think about it, guilt began to eat away at her normally overconfident spirit.

"I...I'm sorry, Mom." She looked the older woman in the eyes, her tears returning and streaming down her tanned face. "I know that you did a lot for us...and still do. Thank you."

A small smile curled against Paula's thin lips as she moved closer to embrace her youngest daughter. She could feel Artemis' tears tapping on the side of her neck before she pulled away, landing a small kiss in her forehead. "You're still young, Artemis. You have a long life ahead of you. Continue your studies and build a career for yourself. That opportunity still awaits you!"

Her daughter smiled back, wanting to wipe her tears. "I know. And I won't let you down, Mom. Thank you again."

A few weeks after Paula and M'gann's visit, Artemis decided to be more optimistic about her new life. Wally, being the good boyfriend he had aspired to be, had promised to provide support for her and even gave her words of encouragement.

He waited patiently for her to crawl out of her shell of depression and noticed that she was slowly accepting the new adjustments in her life. Artemis gradually opened Wally into her heart and started to pull him much closer to her. Their love blossomed a little more with the passing time they spent together.

Looking out the window, Artemis smiled to herself as she looked out at the world in front of her. She couldn't help but reminisce about her short time with the team. _I guess I can't help them with strength,_ she thought, looking back at her bow and arrows. She let out a small, slightly sad laugh. _Maybe I can be the extra brains?_


End file.
